If you’ve been to Mombo’s in Santa Rosa or Sebastopol, then you know where to get an awesome slice of East Coast-style pizza. Now, Healdsburg is the next lucky city to get a taste of these pies, as Mombo’s is taking over the former Mountain Mike’s space at 1051 Vine St.
Owner Andrew Peletz recently applied for a beer and wine license for what will be Mombo’s third location. He tells What Now San Francisco that Mombo’s in Healdsburg should be up and running by May or June of this year.
Mombo’s was founded by Fred and Marianna Poulos. Fred brought to the Bay Area restaurant scene a colorful culinary background, which includes starting Pizza My Heart with friend Keith Holtaway in 1981. After selling his interest in the chain, Fred bopped around the southwest with other ventures before returning to the Bay in the early 2000s.
In 2002, Fred opened the first Mombo’s in Santa Rosa in the Junior College neighborhood, where it still stands. At the time, New York-style slices were a rarity in Northern California and because many recognized Fred from his connection to Pizza My Heart, Mombo’s became a hit and eventually expanded into Sebastopol.
For many years Fred carried on a legacy of bringing people together with food. After his passing in 2020, Peletz—who up until then was the longtime manager for Mombo’s—bought both locations. He was one of many mentees that had the privilege of working with Fred.
“From the day I started, he would tell me, ‘This could all be yours someday.’ He taught me a lot about the pizza business, the East Coast style, the dough, the recipes, the sauce, and his desire to have the highest quality. We’re carrying on his legacy,” Peletz told Sonoma Magazine at the time.
For more information about Mombo’s Pizza, visit their website.
